The MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg have taken a significant step toward enhancing the game-day experience for basketball fans by launching ArenaLab, an ideas workshop focused on reimagining fan engagement and matchday mobility. Announced in collaboration with Stadtwerke Ludwigsburg-Kornwestheim and the city’s innovation network, the initiative seeks innovative solutions to make attending games more enjoyable, sustainable, and accessible around the clock.
The club, which plays its home games at the MHP-Arena in Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, aims to leverage fan input and local partnerships to address longstanding challenges related to transportation, stadium amenities, and overall event atmosphere. With thousands of supporters regularly attending ProB matches, the organization recognizes the need to evolve beyond traditional game-day offerings.
ArenaLab invites fans, students, startups, and community members to submit concepts that improve how people experience basketball events — from arrival and departure to in-arena engagement. The competition emphasizes digital innovation, sustainability, and 24/7 accessibility, reflecting a broader vision of transforming the arena into a year-round community hub.
Sven Hantel, Impact Manager for the MHP Riesen, is among the leaders guiding the project alongside Christian Schneider of Stadtwerke Ludwigsburg-Kornwestheim, Oberbürgermeister Matthias Knecht, and Markus Buchmann, second chairman of the MHP Riesen supervisory board. Their involvement underscores the cross-sector nature of the initiative, blending sports operations with municipal services and urban innovation.
The MHP-Arena has long served as a central venue for basketball in the region, hosting not only professional matches but also youth tournaments, training camps, and community events. By launching ArenaLab, the club aims to deepen its integration into Ludwigsburg’s civic life while responding to fan feedback about congestion, limited amenities, and environmental impact associated with matchday travel.
Recent home games have demonstrated strong fan engagement, with consistent attendance figures reflecting the team’s growing popularity in the ProB league. However, organizers acknowledge that matchday logistics — particularly parking, public transit access, and pedestrian flow — remain areas needing improvement. ArenaLab directly targets these pain points through crowdsourced innovation.
Proposals are expected to cover a range of themes, including mobile ticketing enhancements, real-time crowd management systems, eco-friendly transit options, interactive fan zones, and extended-hour arena programming. The initiative aligns with trends seen in other European sports organizations seeking to modernize stadium experiences through technology and participatory design.
Ludwigsburg, located approximately 12 kilometers north of Stuttgart in southwestern Germany, has positioned itself as a hub for innovation in sports and urban development. The city’s support for ArenaLab reflects its broader strategy of leveraging athletic institutions as catalysts for smart-city initiatives, particularly in the realms of sustainable mobility and public space utilization.
The MHP Riesen’s commitment to fan experience extends beyond gameday operations. The club maintains active outreach through youth programs, school partnerships, and charitable initiatives, reinforcing its role as a community-oriented organization. ArenaLab represents an evolution of this ethos, inviting the public to co-create the future of basketball events in the region.
As the submission phase progresses, the club plans to evaluate entries based on feasibility, creativity, environmental impact, and potential to enhance fan satisfaction. Selected concepts may proceed to pilot testing during the upcoming season, with successful innovations potentially integrated into permanent arena operations.
For fans attending games at the MHP-Arena, the ultimate goal of ArenaLab is simple: to make every visit more enjoyable, less stressful, and more connected to the rhythm of life in Ludwigsburg. Whether through smoother transit, richer halftime activities, or year-round access to arena facilities, the initiative seeks to redefine what it means to be a basketball supporter in the 21st century.
The next confirmed checkpoint for the ArenaLab initiative is the review and selection of submitted ideas, expected to occur in the coming months following the conclusion of the open call. Fans and stakeholders are encouraged to monitor the official MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg website and city announcements for updates on winning proposals and implementation timelines.
What aspect of the game-day experience would you most like to notice improved through innovations like those sought in ArenaLab? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and consider submitting your own idea to help shape the future of basketball in Ludwigsburg.
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